Dove Marketing Strategy

994 Words2 Pages

Marketers assert to develop branding and packaging strategies that signify the brand’s products in a way that establishes lasting impressions in consumers’ thoughts. Because brands distinguish the many product offerings in the marketplace, brands help consumers choose between product offerings. When branding and packaging strategies clearly illustrate worthy product expectations, and products remain true to branding messages, positive consumer perceptions ensue, and brand value is strengthened. While branding activity is a long-term exercise, it creates long-term value through obtaining customer loyalty (Boundless, 2015); and Dove brand has accomplished just that. Dove brand, owned by Unilever, offers hair and skin care products. In subsequent …show more content…

Tanner and Raymond (2014) describe branding activity as “strategies that are designed to create an image and position in the consumers’ minds” (c.6). When branding messages coincide with its offerings’ characteristics, it establishes consumer trust, and brand strength. For example, when first introducing Dove brand in 1957, by labeling its product as a “beauty cleansing bar . . . [with] ¼ moisturizing cream, that rinses cleaner than soap” (Unilever, 2016), we can see that marketers associated the brand to moisturizing and beauty, and disassociated the brand from common soap. Over the years, this consistent message coinciding with product performance has strengthened the Dove brand. Strong brand equity is derived from consistent, strategic branding that establishes perceived quality and emotional attachment (Entrepreneur, 2016); therefore, consumers are more likely to pay higher prices, as well as purchase new offerings connected to the …show more content…

Today, vast product selections require marketers to identify and understand their target market, and to ensure their message is specifically directed to, and clearly received by their target market. In Dove’s example, early marketing strategies targeted all woman who needed an alternative to harsh soaps. However, as soaps progressively became less harsh, the Dove brand required more strategic positioning in the minds of their consumer. When speaking to Dove’s re-positioning efforts, Flagg (2013), points out that while similar products associate brand image with slender, stereotypical models, Dove’s “2004 campaign for Real Beauty” (p.1) specifically targeted ordinary women, celebrating women’s diverse body shapes, and the importance of every woman feeling good about herself (p.1). With ever increasing product offerings entering the marketplace, marketers must clearly communicate to their target group why their product is right for them, as compared to other

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